1. Themes of life, love and health are explored in the music of John Mann, whose concert in Surrey this Saturday night (Feb. 13) has morphed from a solo show into a very special evening, with several musical friends surrounding him with much love and many notes. The health of the longtime Spirit of the West bandleader has been challenged in recent times – first by cancer and, more recently, Alzheimer’s. Fresh from a therapy-heavy trip to Mexico, Mann performs at Surrey Arts Centre’s main stage with fellow musicians Tobin Frank, Eric Reed, Allan Rodger and Shari Ulrich. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show start at $25 via tickets.surrey.ca and 604-501-5566. An added bonus for this one: Audience members are invited to a post-concert “meet ‘n’ greet” with Mann and his wife, actor Jill Daum, of “Mom’s the Word” fame.
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2. Opening Saturday (Feb. 13) at Surrey Art Gallery is “Art by Surrey Secondary School Students,” a bi-annual exhibition developed in cooperation with the Surrey School District and the Surrey Art Teachers Association. This spring, the winning examples of visual art will fill the halls of the lobby at the arts centre, at Bear Creek Park. See paintings, drawings, collages and photographs for a look inside the minds of these 52 talented teens, from 10 different schools in Surrey. Kudos to the gallery for continuing to showcase student-created art, as it has done since 1983. For more details, visit Surrey.ca/culture-recreation/18733.aspx or call 604-501-5566.
3. Here’s a chance to be a tourist in your own town and learn the fascinating history of Surrey’s oldest neighbourhoods: Bus tours of heritage sites have been organized by the city’s Heritage Services department. The first rolls Thursday, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by another on Saturday, Feb. 20. A curator with Historic Stewart Farm will reveal details about Crescent Beach, the Peace Arch, Cloverdale’s Interurban station and other places. The outing ends with a stop at the farmhouse’s kitchen for tea and woodstove-baked treats. Designed for those 16 years of age and older, the trip costs $26 per person; call 604-592-6956, quoting course #4435803.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com